Norma Kamali's affinity for drapery is evident in this evening dress, but the ever-innovative designer put a twist on an old standard: the tiers of soft Grecian-inspired folds are balanced by a substantial shoulder pad, a recurring element in her work. "My clothes are flamboyant and so are the people who buy them," Kamali told the New York Times in 1978. In the same article, she discussed her preferred dressmaking technique - pinning a garment on her own body. "I don't sketch until after I'm done draping. Sketching can confine you," she said, even though she is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology's Fashion Illustration program.

Object Number: 89.64.11

Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
Seventh Avenue at 27 Street
New York City 10001-5992